Honda's progression was swiftly noticed at the 2025 season-opening Thailand MotoGP.

The worst bike on last year’s grid was immediately competitiveღ from Friday in Buriram.

Johann Zarco caught the eye by finishing se꧅venth in the grand prix, with Luca Marini 12th.

Somkiat Chantra was 18th on his premier class debut, while Joan Mir did not finish.

But Mir qua🦹lified in🏅 12th, and finished ninth in the sprint, before surprisingly declaring Honda could fight for second spot behind only Ducati.

“The Honda has made massive🐽 steps,” Sylvain Guintoli told TNT Sports in Buriram.

“Mir sai🅘d after Sepang, even more after the Buriram test, the front end feeling was bette🔯r.

“He could brake deeperꦚ, he had more fe🎐edback from the tyre.

“Last year he just crashed every week, he ha🌱d no idea what was going on, he was off-pace too.

༒“But they have found som🀅ething, he has the feeling back.

“Mir’s riding style is to brake hard. He brakes late. He is efficient to stop the bike. 🦩But he couldn’t do that until now. “Honda look much bౠetter across all their riders, especially Joan.”

Neil Hodgson said: “It’s ni🅺ce to have positive news for Honda. It has been a disaster for three years.”

He added: “The Japanese manufac🍌turers have embraced, and poached, European knowledge and European engin๊eers. They have embraced the space race.”

Honda and Yamaha warned about focus on the future

Romano Albesiano has swapped Aprilia for Honda, to become their𝓡 new technical director.

Honda have also recruited Aleix Espargaro, after his retirement from racing, as a test rider. He is paired with Takaaki Na🅰kagami, who was dropped from his race seat to join the test team.

Similarly, Yamaha have brought in Max Bartolini as a technicalꩵ director who is tipped to improve their project.

Yamജaha also acquired the Pramac team, doubling their presence on the grid and their access to data.

While Yamaha are considering a major change of engine, Honda are consid👍ering the upcoming Mot🧸oGP regulations change.

But both have been warned to focus on today, too.

“It takes a lot of resources𓂃 to concurrently develop two different machines,” Michael Laverty said.

“Yamaha 🐈are looking at the V4 versus the inli🗹ne-four, Honda are looking at the 850cc for 2027.

“ไThey know that they must work in the ‘now’. There is  knowledge to gain in the next few seasons trying to close the gap to Ducati. The knowledge will pre🎶vail.

“It’s important to take advantage of the concessions and bring usable inform🎐ation to the track.

“And, race with it! Previousl♈y Honda were too afraid to put something out on a race weeken✅d in case it failed.

“They are prepared to accept the risk of emb🐈arrassment which they didn’t like in the p♉ast, if something failed on the race track it was a no-no for their company ethos.

“Now they throw more thi♏ngs at it to play catch-up, and to do as the Europeans do.”